our maternal grandmother     (click for relationship chart)

Birthday:  3? Aug. 1872?, 1874? or 1875 ?	Birthplace:  St. Louis, MO
Possible Birth Mother:  Maria M. Jenne (*?) (-3G)	Possible Birth Father:  Joseph Scharfenberger (*?) (-3G)
Foster Mother:  Regina Zimmermann (-3G)	Foster Father:  Jacob M. Gruen (-3G)
Sex/Fam. Grp.:  female / Thake	Died:  3 Feb. 1913 in St. Louis, MO

  Brother? Joseph H. Scharfenberger (-2G) born ca. 5 Dec. 1876 in St. Louis?
  Brother? Joseph H. Scharfenberger died 18 Mar. 1877 in St. Louis
  Birth Father? Joseph Scharfenberger (-3G) died 2 June 1877 in St. Louis
  Taken into the Jacob M. Gruen family ca. 1877
  Given the surname of her foster parents sometime after 1880 and before 1900

  Married to Erven Eugene Thake* (-2G) on 21 April 1906 at Holy Ghost church in St. Louis, MO
  Son Winfield Charles Jacob Thake (-1G) born 8 February 1907 in St. Louis, MO
  Her foster father, Jacob M. Gruen, died on Sat. 26 Oct. 1907
  Daughter Beatrice (-1G) is born in St. Louis on 06 Mar. 1908
  Daughter Alice Thake* (-1G) born 29 July 1909 in St. Louis, MO
  Died 3 February 1913 in St. Louis, MO
  Buried 5 Feb. 1913 in Valhalla Cemetery

  Cited in Given Names - Meanings and Derivations - Info on the name "Josephine"
  Included on the Thake Family Group Chart
  The surname "Gruen"
  The surname "Scharfenberger"
  Listed on the St. Louis page

*marks direct-line ancestors of Erven Thoma. The (-2G), etc., after the names indicates the number of generations before Erven Thoma.

Emma Scharfenberger may have been a sister of Josephine. Emma was born ca. early 1869 in St. Louis?

There are no Scharfenberger listings in the St. Louis City Directory for the years 1861-66. There is a Joseph Scharfenberger in the 1867 Directory who is a brewer for Phoenix Brewery. There is no listing of him for the years 1868-70.

At her death, the death certificate reports she was 38 years, 5 months old and that she was born 3 Aug. 1874. However that year does not agree with the gravestone and cemetery records or with the 1880 or 1900 Census. Her place of birth was given on the death certificate as St. Louis. I have not found a Josephine Scharfenberger in the St. Louis Birth register for the years 1873-75.

Josephine was unofficially adopted and raised by the Gruen family that at one time lived near the Greer Ave. (north St. Louis) address where the Eugene Charles Thake (-3G) family lived. So she was not a true Gruen; her blood ancestors are uncertain, but her birth surname may be Scharfenberger (see below). A living relative says she was never officially adopted. There are no adoption papers in the St. Louis Archives from the period 1880 to 1900. For an organized list of arguments connecting Josephine with Joseph Scharfenberger, see my arguments page.

Joseph Scharfenberger (-3G) (Josephine's possible birth-father), married Maria M. Jenne* (-3G) on 11 Apr. 1868 in St. Louis. Jacob M. Gruen (-3G) (Josephine's foster father) married Regina Zimmermann (-3G) (nickname Dina) on 25 Sept. 1869 in St. Louis, MO.

Although Josephine is probably not born yet, we want to show that the 1870 St. Louis City Directory lists Jacob Gruen, bartender at C. Jenne & Co. at 2628 Tayon Ave. Note that "Jenne" is the surname of the probable birth-mother of Josephine, Maria Margaret Jenne, mentioned in the previous paragraph. This listing proves that our Gruen and a Jenne family were in the same business and knew each other. (See the arguments page)

Assuming Joseph Scharfenberger was her birth father, then there was a sister, Emma (or Erma), born ca. early 1869. This sister appears on the 1870 Census for St. Louis, Missouri (ward 6, p. 093, house 28, family 38).

The month (August) of Josephine's birth is given in the 1910 Census and the death certificate. The death certificate also gives the day (3rd). I assume those to be correct since there is nothing in contradiction. However, the year of her birth is uncertain because of the differences in the several sources. The first 1880 Census produces a 1870 birthyear, but the second 1880 Census produces a 1871 birthyear. The 1900 Census gives her birthdate as in Aug. 1872. The marriage application gives her age as 31 which translates to the 1874 birthyear. The 1910 Census gives Aug. 1974 as her birth time. Her death certificate gives 03 Aug. 1874 and her gravestone gives 1875 as the year of birth. Click here to see a date list which examines her birth time in detail. I did not find a Josephine Scharfenberger in the St. Louis Birth Register for the years 1870-75, but not everyone was listed in those early years.

Regarding her place of birth, there are 8 sources that place her birth in St. Louis or Missouri. These sources include the birth records of her son (city), her second child (Mo), and Alice (St. L.), her death certificate (St. L.), the Censeses of 1880 (2) (Missouri), 1900 (Missouri) and 1910 (Missouri).

If Joseph and Maria Scharfenberger were her birth parents. I present the following further information on Joseph and Maria Scharfenberger below:

In the 1871 St. Louis City Directory we find Joseph with a saloon (and residence?) at 1910 Market.  In the 1872 Directory he has a saloon and residence at 1910 Market.  In the 1873 Dir. we find Joseph with a saloon (and residence?) at the same location.  He is the only Scharfenberger listed in 1873. In the 1874 St. Louis Directory there is an entry in bold type for Joseph Scharfenberger with a wine depot and sample room at 13-15 N. 3rd St. and a residence at 2105? Gamble Ave.  In the 1875 St. Louis Directory a Joseph is listed at 1822 Clark Ave. The 1876 Directory lists Joseph with a saloon at 206 N. 12th St. and a residence at 210 N. 12th.

When Joseph H. Scharfenberger (-2G) (Josephine's possible brother) died on 18 Mar. 1877, the Scharfenberger family was living at 1916 Poplar in St. Louis. When Joseph Scharfenberger (-3G) (Josephine's probable birth father) died on 2 June, 1877, the Scharfenberger family was still living at 1916 Poplar in St. Louis. It is sad that the father and son died just a few months apart. I do not know when the daughter Emma died.

No Joseph, Mary or Maria Scharfenberger appears in the St. Louis Directories of 1877-1881 so Maria probably also died before Joseph (unless she married quickly or moved out of the city).

There is no record of exactly when Josephine joined the household of Jacob M. and Regina [Dina] Gruen but it was probably after June of 1877 (death of Joseph Scharfenberger) and certainly before June of 1880 (time of the first 1880 Census).

The Gruen family consisted of the father, Jacob, the mother, Regina (nicknamed Dina), and two natural children, one of whom was George. The foster mother's surname may have had only one "n". When the Gruen foster parents died, neither she (if she was living at the time) nor Erven Thake received any inheritance because Josephine was a foster child.

The St. Louis City Directory of 1877 lists Jacob M. Gruen with a wine business at 420 Market and residence at 27?6 Market. Notice that this business address is the same as that for C. Jenne & Co. in 1871. In fact, Jacob M. Gruen and Charles Jenne were co-partners in a wine business. Charles Jenne (-3G) died in Dec. 1872 and Jacob Gruen took over the business. The Directory of 1878 lists Jacob Gruen, wine dealer at 420 Market, living at 2706 Manchester Rd. [sic! Market?]. The 1879 Directory has Jacob M. Gruen, wines at 420 Market, residence at 2376 Market. In the 1880 St. Louis City Directory there is listed Jacob M. Gruen living at 2706 Market [sic! Laclede?] and with a saloon at 420 Market.

The 1880 Census for St. Louis, Missouri (first enumeration, T9_723, supv. dist. 1, enum. dist. 132, page 16, sheet 33D, dwelling 117, family 142, lines 41-46, dated June 4) has a Jacob Gruen family in St. Louis living at 2710 Laclede Ave. The head, Jacob Gruen, is a wine merchant. He is 36 years old, born in Baden. His parents were also born in Baden. His wife, the family housekeeper, is named Regina. She is 29 years old, born in Missouri. Her parents were born in Darmstadt in Hesse. Their son, George, is 8 years old, born in Missouri. Also is the household is a boarder, Josephine Scharfenberger, 9 years old. She was born in Missouri; her father in Bavaria; her mother in Baden. I believe this was the same person as Josephine Gruen in the 1900 Census, although the ages do not quite match (neither do the ages of Jacob). Also in the household is a servant girl, Carolina Mueller(?), 16 years old. Carolina was born in Illinois; her father in Germany and her mother in Darmstadt in Hesse. Also living there is the father of Jacob: John George Gruen, a salesman, 61 years old, born in Baden, with parents born in Baden.

The 1880 Census for St. Louis, Missouri (second enumeration, T9_733, supv. dist. 71, enum. dist. 342, page 10, sheet 225B, dwelling 54, family 85, lines 18-23, dated 10 Nov.) shows the Jacob M. Gruen family living at 2710 Laclede Ave. The head, Jacob Gruen, is a wine merchant. He is 36 years old, born in Germany. His parents were also born in Germany. His wife is named Rachel [sic! mistake?] and has no occupation listed. She was born in Missouri; her parents in Germany. Their son John G. Gruen is 9 and is employed in a store. George J. Gruen, father of Jacob, is 70 and widowed. He is a wagon driver (perhaps for the family wine business). He and his parents were born in Germany. Fred Gruen, cousin of Jacob, is 21 and single, and is employed as a cellar man (probably in the family wine business). He and his parents were born in Germany. On the line above Jacob we find Josie Schaffenberger [spelling?], an adopted child of 9 years old. She was born in Missouri of parents born in Germany. [I am assuming that she should be included in the Jacob Gruen family--see the first enumeration.]. The servant girl seen in the first enumeration is not listed.

In the 1881 St. Louis City Directory there is listed Jacob M. Gruen residing at 2706 Laclede with a saloon at 418 Market. Is Laclede a new name for Market (see the 1880 listing)? Directory listings were probably compiled several months to a year before the publication date. The 1882 Directory has Jacob M. Gruen with a saloon at 418 Market and a residence at 2710 Manchester Rd. The 1883 Directory has Jacob M. Gruen with a saloon at 418 Market and residence at 2710 Market. In the 1884 Directory Jacob M. Gruen has a saloon at 418 Market and a residence at 2628 Market. The 1885 and 1886 Directories list Jacob M. Gruen with a saloon at 418 Market and a residence at 16 Beaumont. The 1887 Directory has Jacob M. Gruen with a saloon at 418 Market and a residence at 16 S. Beaumont.

Josephine was given an autograph book by a friend in. Many of her school? friends wrote greetings or poems in it and signed their names and sometimes a date. One such friend was a Maggie Uhrig on 26 Aug. 1887. Her surname is the same as Joseph Uhrig, a brewer, who knew Joseph Scharfenberger. Another signer was a Barbara who called herself a cousin. There was a Barbara Jenne, born in 1870, who was a daughter of Charles and Margaret Jenne. Margaret's maiden name was Uhrig. Is "Maggie" a nickname for "Margaret"? If Maria Jenne is the mother of Josephine and Maria was a sister of Charles Jenne, then Barbara would be a first cousin to Josephine. Charles Jenne had a brother-in-law, Theodore Uhrig, who had a daughter, Maggie (Margaret). This was probably the Maggie Uhrig who signed Josephine's autograph book. Small world?

The 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire so no family details are available, but the 1890 St. Louis City Directory lists Jacob M. Gruen with a saloon at 418 Market. Residential address is ?. The 1891 Directory has Jacob M. Gruen, saloon at 418 Market and residence at 2702 N. 21st St. That Directory also lists a Gruen's Hotel at 414 Market which, because of its proximity, may be operated by Jacob or his father. The 1892 Directory has the same listing as 1891. The 1895-1899 Directories have Jacob M. Gruen, saloon and wines, 418 Market, r. 2702 N. 21st.

In the 1900 Census (June 4, enum. dist. 281, sheet 3, line 9, ward 18) for Missouri there is a Josephine Gruen, listed as a daughter, born in August 1872 and 27 years old. She was born in Missouri. According to this Census, Josephine's father was born in Germany and her mother in Missouri--but this is probably referring to her foster parents, the Gruen's. The Census also states that she can read and write and can speak English. The head of the household at 2702 N. 21st St. in St. Louis is Jacob Gruen. He is 58 years old, born in Aug. 1841 in Germany, with parents also born in Germany. Jacob is naturalized, came to the U.S. in 1865 and has lived in the U.S. for 35 years. He is a wine merchant. Also in the household in Jacob's wife of 30 years, Dina. Dina is 47 years old, born in Nov. 1852 in Missouri. Dina's father and mother were born in Germany. Dina can read and write and can speak English. Josephine is called a daughter. They are renting the house.

I have not yet researched the St. Louis Directory for the years 1900-06 but I assume that Josephine lived at 2702 N. 21st St. in St. Louis with her foster parents and foster brother.

On the marriage license (No. 126038) her age is 31 and her address is given as 2702 N. 21st St. in St. Louis, MO. Her husband was 30 years old and was living at 3814a Greer. The wedding was held on 21 Apr. 1906 at Holy Ghost Church is located at 4916 Mardel in St. Louis. It is presently affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Formerly it may have been German Reformed or Evangelical (old German Lutheran).

Click on this thumbnail to enlarge her wedding picture from April 1906
Another wedding picture from April 1906. Click to enlarge.

At first the couple lived on Labadie St. (named later changed to LaSalle).

When her son Winfield was born (08 Feb. 1907), the family was living at 2702 N. 21st St. The 1907 St. Louis Dir. lists Ervin E. Thake, hatter, living at 2702 N. 21st St.

The obituary of Josephine's foster father, Jacob M. Gruen, appears in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 28 Oct. 1907, p. 12. He died on Sat. 26 Oct. 1907. He is called the foster father of Josie Thake.

When her second child, daughter Beatrice, was born (1908), the family was living at 3828 Kennerly Ave. The 1908 Dir. lists him as Irwin [sic!] E., hatter, living at 3828 Kennerly Ave.

When her daughter Alice was born (29 Jul. 1909), the family was living at 3922 Lexington Ave. The 1909 Dir. lists Irwin E. Thake, hatter, living at 3922 Lexington. The 1910 Directory has Irwin E. Thake, hat [hatter], living at 3922 Lexington Ave.

She appears in the 1910 Missouri Census - Soundex Index for T200 with the reference to 111 0339 0231. (enum. dist. 339, sheet 8, dwelling #139, line 53, dated 21 Apr.) Her nickname Josie is used, she is 35 years old and is born in Missouri. She is listed with her husband and three children. He is 34 born in Missouri and has the occupation of hatter.  His parents were born in Germany. The children are: Winfield C. (3), Beatrice (2), and Alice (8 months). They are living at 3922 Lexington in St. Louis and own the house. Living upstairs is the Edwin Brown family which is renting from the Thake family. (Soundex ref. 113 0339 0231).

In the 1913 St. Louis Directory we see Irwin E. Thake, hat [hatter], living at 3922 Lexington Ave. In this year we also find Diana [Regina] Gruen, widow of Jacob M. Gruen, living with Erven, Josephine and their family. Regina and Jacob were the foster parents of Erven's first wife, Josephine who died in this same year (see above).

The death certificate for Josephine gives her birth date as 3 Aug. 1874 and her age as 38 years, 5 months. It gives her parents as Jacob Gruen and Dina Zimmermann (but those are foster parents). Her occupation was given as "Hwork" (housework). Her date of death was given as 3 Feb. 1913 at 7:40 a.m. and the place was her home at 3922 Lexington. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis. Dr. Paul Nemours was the MD. It says her father (foster) was born in Germany and her mother (foster) in St. Louis. Burial was given as Valhalla Cemetery on 5 Feb. 1913. The informant was her husband.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch carried Josephine's obituary on 3 or 4 Feb. 1913. It gives Gruenn (sic!) as her maiden name. It given her death as 3 Feb. 1913 at 7:40 a.m. Listed are her husband, Erven E. Thake, and mother (foster-mother) Mrs. Jacob Gruenn (sic!). Funeral was Wed. 5 Feb. 1913 at 2 p.m. from her residence, 3922 Lexington Ave. to Valhalla Cemetery. A living relative says the hearse from the house to the cemetery was horse-drawn.

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The 1880 Census reports that Josephine was born in Missouri, that her father was born in Bavaria and her mother in Baden. Therefore, it seems likely that her parents were married in Missouri shortly before she was born. The only Scharfenberger married in St. Louis between 1860 and 1876 is Joseph Scharfenberger who married Maria M. Jenne on 11 Apr. 1868 St. Louis Archives-Marriage Register vol. 13, page 435). Looking at the St. Louis City Directory we see Joseph Scharfenberger appearing in the following years:
There are no Scharfenberger listings in the St. Louis City Directory for the years 1861-66.
1867 - brewer for Phoenix Brewery
1868 - listed as Joseph Scharenberger; brewer for Union Brewery; bdg. at 1712 Market
1869-70 - no listing for Joseph
1871-73 - saloon at 1910 Market St.; in 1872 he is also living there
1874 - residence at 2165 Gamble Ave.; wine depot and sample room at 13-15 N. 3rd
1875 - residence at 1822 Clark Ave.
1876 - residence at 210 N. 12th; saloon at 206 N. 12th
In the 1877 through 1881 directories there is no Joseph Scharfenberger. He died in 1877. By 1880 Josephine is living with the Gruen family. I will try to learn when Maria Scharfenberger died.

There are some school records for a Josie Scharfenberger in the St. Louis School District. She went to Carondolet Elementary School which is on the south side of St. Louis. These records date from 1892-95. One record (from 1893) has no age, no guardian, no occupation, and no residence. Another record puts her age as 10 (or 16) and a half in June 1894 and her father's name as Jacob Scharfenberger (a fireman who lived on Water St.). A third record (from 1895) has her age as 11 years, 6 months. Her father's name is Jacob and he is a fireman living at 8321 Broadway. However, our Josie was 9 years old in 1880 so she should have been 24 in 1895, although other records give a somewhat younger age. The youngest age in other records is 31 in 1906 which would produce age 20 in 1895. Besides, the parent's occupation and address is not that of our Josephine.

There was a Josephine Scharfenberger who married an Adam Marerander on 29 Nov. 1844 in St. Louis. Perhaps our Josephine was named after or related to her. However our Josephine could have been named after Joseph Scharfenberger who I think was her birth father.

Created Mon. Apr. 3, 2000.  Updated 02 Feb. 2009.